Brisbane Airport is straightforward once you know two things: the terminals are four kilometres apart and you cannot walk between them, and the train into the city is the one exception to Queensland's 50-cent fare.
Brisbane Airport sits at Pinkenba, about thirteen kilometres north-east of the CBD, and it is one of the easier Australian capital airports to arrive into. Two things catch people out, and both are worth knowing before you land.
The International Terminal and the Domestic Terminal are separate buildings roughly four kilometres from each other. You cannot walk between them, and there is no pedestrian route — this is the single most common mistake for anyone connecting from an international arrival to a domestic flight.
There are two ways across. A free transfer bus runs between the terminals and takes around ten minutes. The Airtrain does the same hop in about five minutes for a small fixed fare, and is generally free if you already hold an Airtrain ticket into the city.
If you are connecting between an international arrival and a domestic departure, allow properly for this. Clearing immigration and customs, collecting bags, moving terminals and re-checking is not a thirty-minute exercise.
Airtrain is the default for most visitors. It runs from stations at both terminals into the CBD in about twenty minutes, stopping at Central, Fortitude Valley and Roma Street, and continuing south towards the Gold Coast. It is the fastest option in peak traffic because it does not sit in any.
The important detail: Airtrain is the one exception to Queensland's 50-cent flat fare. Every other bus, train and ferry journey in South-East Queensland costs fifty cents; the airport line is priced separately and is considerably more. Children generally travel free with a paying adult, and return fares are cheaper than two singles.
Taxis and rideshare take about fifteen minutes to the CBD in light traffic, longer in the morning and evening peaks. Both operate from marked ranks and pickup zones, and fares vary with demand. Note that the airport applies an access fee, which is included in what you pay.
Fixed-fare transfers are the sensible answer for groups, late arrivals, families with luggage, or anyone staying outside the inner city. Our sister company Airport Shuttle Services publishes a full Brisbane Airport guide with terminal detail, parking and set one-way fares — from around $49 to the CBD, with fixed prices through to the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Noosa. Fares do not surge, and flights are monitored so a delayed arrival does not cost you the ride.
Public bus services do reach the airport precinct but are not a practical option with luggage for most arrivals.
A large share of Brisbane arrivals are not staying in Brisbane, and the airport is well set up for that.
Gold Coast: the Airtrain runs south to Nerang, Robina and Varsity Lakes, roughly ninety minutes, then a connection to your accommodation. A direct transfer takes about an hour and a quarter to Surfers Paradise and is simpler with bags.
Sunshine Coast: there is no direct rail link. It is a transfer or a hire car, roughly ninety minutes to Mooloolaba and closer to two hours to Noosa.
Byron Bay: about two and a half hours south, across the New South Wales border. Remember that Byron observes daylight saving from October to April and Brisbane does not, so it runs an hour ahead for half the year.
The major rental companies operate desks at both terminals with vehicles in the adjacent car parks.
Two things to check before you commit. Brisbane's motorways use electronic tolling with no cash booths — the airport link road itself is tolled — so ask the rental company how tolls are handled, because most bill them afterwards with an administration fee. And check your accommodation's parking: inner-city hotels frequently charge $30 to $60 a night on top of the room rate.
If you are staying in the CBD and doing day trips, it is often cheaper to skip the car, use the fifty-cent network in the city, and book transport for the days you actually leave town.
Biosecurity is taken seriously in Australia and the penalties are real. Declare all food, plant material, wooden items and anything that has been in contact with soil or animals — declaring costs nothing, and failing to declare can be expensive. Hiking boots with dirt on them are a genuine example.
SIM cards are sold in the arrivals area at both terminals, and you will need photo identification to activate one. Free wi-fi is available throughout the airport.
Currency and cards. Contactless payment works almost everywhere in Brisbane, so there is little need to change large amounts of cash. ATMs inside the terminals generally charge a fee.
Luggage storage is available at the airport if you have a long layover or an early checkout, which is worth knowing on a departure day.
Allow the standard two hours for domestic and three for international, and add time if you are dropping a hire car or moving between terminals.
Both terminals have food, shops and lounges past security. If you are on an early departure, note that many airport outlets open later than the first flights — a pre-dawn departure may find limited options.
Domestic departures from Brisbane are generally smooth. The pinch point is the morning peak, when business traffic to Sydney and Melbourne fills the security queues.
Cooee Tours acknowledges the Turrbal and Yuggera (Jagera) peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which Brisbane stands. We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.
Transfers, charters and guided days across South-East Queensland. Family owned and operating since 1974.
Ask usSee also our guide to getting from the airport to the city.